EDITORIAL: Safety doesn’t take a holiday

Summer seems to be the season of senseless – and sometimes tragic – accidents.

A jogger is hit by a train at a busy and well-marked crossing along White Rock’s waterfront. A child falls from a window left open to capture a cooling breeze. A swimmer dives into a shallow pool of water and never resurfaces.

These kinds of tragic fatalities seem to happen year after year, in communities across the province.

And they especially resonate because they often involve people doing activities we’re all pursuing in the halcyon days of summer. Enjoying the outdoors. Being active. Getting away. Staying cool.

But just because we’re slowing down to enjoy the season doesn’t mean we can let down our guard when it comes to staying safe.

Traffic may be diminished, but it’s still dangerous.

The water at the swimming hole may be inviting and refreshing, but dangers lurk beneath the surface.

Beers on the back deck or at the campsite are just as intoxicating as those consumed in the pub on a Friday night.

Of course, more people are out and about, enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures, so the odds are higher that accidents are likely to occur.

But the zeal to get out, to maximize our enjoyment of these rare sunny months before the winter rains and chill settle in again sometimes lead to lapses in judgment.

Seemingly inconsequential acts like leaving a window open, rolling through a stop sign, not looking both ways before crossing a street, or ignoring a prominently-placed warning notice can come with huge consequences.

Sometimes even fatal ones.

British Columbians love the outdoors. Partly because there’s so much of it at our doorstep and it’s so beautiful. Partly because we spend so much of the year seeking shelter from it when rain and snow fall from the sky.

But no matter where your summer takes youv and your family – whether it’s to the beach or the cabin, to any number of vacation destinations, or even if you’re just relaxing at home, just remember to be careful out there.